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I. Chap. VII.), and against its Wisdom and Goodness, obviated in this, there is a particular one alleged against Christianity; viz. "That it is a clumsy, roundabout way, which God has been supposed to adopt, to bring about man's salvation by a long series of contrivances, instead of accomplishing His will, in a way more worthy of Him, at once." Now, every

thing which we see, shows the folly of this objection. For God uses various means in nature, often apparently tedious and circuitous, to accomplish His ends; in this respect the mystery in Nature is as great as that in Christianity. We are, moreover, ignorant as to the relative terms, means and ends, with respect to God's acts. But this is clear, that the whole natural world is a progressive scheme, in which the operation of means takes up great length of time. Vegetable and animal productions gradually obtain maturity; rational agents gradually attain knowledge; one state of things is appointed as preparatory to another. Men are for hurrying and precipitating things; but the Author of Nature accomplishes His objects by slow, successive steps. And thus in Nature, God operates as in Christianity; making one thing subservient to, and preparatory for, another. Hence, objections of this kind against Christianity have no validity.

CHAPTER V.

OF THE PARTICULAR SCHEME OF CHRISTIANITY; THE APPOINTMENT OF A MEDIATOR; AND THE REDEMPTION OF THE WORLD BY HIM.

ARGUMENT.-Objections against Redemption by a Mediator, answered by the analogy of Nature, wherein aids and blessings are afforded, through the medium of others. As present natural punishments may follow vice, by some constituted moral law; so may future ones follow sin in another world,-each by an inevitable consequence. The inefficacy of repentance and reformation, per se, shown by the inefficacy thereof to prevent the results of folly here. As remedies for evils in Nature are provided,—so may they, by analogy, for the evils of sin. Man's salvation from utter ruin, an object worthy of Divine interposition. Christ's dying for us, analogous to the innocent often suffering with the

guilty. His doing it voluntarily, analogous to human friendship. Christ's offices, as Prophet, King, and Priest. The province of reason to search into the meaning of Revelation, but not to pronounce upon merits, as a scheme or plan. Enough in it to explain our duty, but not to satisfy curiosity.

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AFTER the general objections, perhaps no one particular in Christianity has been more strongly objected against, than the Mediation of Christ.

I. Now, the whole analogy of Nature shows the weakness of this objection. The visible government of God over the world is exercised by the instrumentality of others; the preservation of our infant lives, our education, comforts, and blessings of almost every kind, as well as our corrections, are all dispensed by Him, through the medium of others, who thus are the mediators or the instruments of His mercy or justice. So that the notion of a Mediator, in the Christian dispensation, is, in the general sense thereof, quite in unison with the course of Nature.

II. The world being admitted to be under the moral government of God, religion teaches us, that one consequence thereof is, that vice shall be followed by misery in some future state; in other words, that sin shall be righteously punished. All the reasons

or remedy, could be effected by any thing alone, and in itself, that we could do. We do not, indeed, know the whole of God's moral government; but, looking at the analogy of Nature, we may find sufficient answers to any arbitrary objections, against this doctrine; the proof whereof is not reason, but revelation. We see persons ruining their fortunes by extravagance, and their health by excess; or incurring the penalties of civil laws they may sorrow for past follies,-resolve well for the future, but this prevents not the natural consequences of distress, and misery. This being the case, as to our present interests, under the natural government of God; it is quite credible that it may be such, as to our higher and future interests, under His moral government; and that sorrow for sin and better obedience may be-not useless, God forbid-but wholly insufficient, to free us from the penal consequences. It is, indeed, contrary to all reasonable notions of government, and to the analogy of nature, that it should be so. And the fact of the great prevalence of propitiatory sacrifices, in the heathen world, shows that, in the general sense of mankind, repentance was insufficient to expiate guilt, and that a vicarious offering was also required.

V. In this darkness, or light of Nature, (call it which you please,) Revelation comes in ; and confirms all our fears concerning the sad results of wickedness; pro

claiming the world to be in a state of ruin, and that repentance alone, under God's moral government, is insufficient to procure pardon. But, at the same time, this government was one, wherein compassion was strikingly visible; and a merciful provision had been made, to prevent the utter destruction of man, which otherwise must have taken place. "God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish;" a gift analogous to the assistance He affords us, through the medium of our fellow creatures, in temporal matters: And the Son "so loved us, that He gave Himself for us;" a love analogous to the promptings of human friendship:—the analogies in both cases, however, being of a sublime and transcendant kind, infinitely surpassing all wherewith we could compare them. The interposition was effectual, to prevent the punishment from taking place on the part of God himself, or from actually following, in the course of His divine appointments.

Whatever objections may arise, as to the strangeness of the whole matter; the fact is, that the world is manifestly in a state of moral degradation; evils and profligacy and corruption abound in it; so that even heathen moralists considered it a place of punishment. That the occasion of its being so, was the crime of our first parents, is only analogous to what we daily see

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